Nobody's Friend
by SoraIsMyHomeboy
Summary: What would you do if you had a dark secret that you wouldn't dare to share with anyone? What would you do if were a Nobody who may be in grave danger and had no one to help you? Rated T for dark themes later on, violence, and very mild blood at the end.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, thanks for choosing to at least open this and check it out XD i've been working on it for about half a year now...so hope you enjoy! and please review so i know my hard work paid off! Special thanks to my friends Jon and Katie for the support:)

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Nobody's Friend

The sun rose early in the morning, the golden rays staining the sky its usual orange and violet hues. In the small house on the corner of Goldensky Boulevard, the alarm clock sounded its wakeup call. The young 17-year-old was roused from her troubled sleep. Flicking the alarm off, she threw the bed's covers off of herself, groggily getting up and massaging her face in exhaustion. Then, like every other morning, she quickly put on her usual clothes: a black fitted T-shirt, tight jeans, a plain black wristband, and her favorite necklace. It was a chain with a charm shaped like a dove in flight.

She walked over to the wall, glancing in the small mirror. She brushed through her rough black hair that jaggedly ran back behind her ears, hardly touching her collar in back. She sighed as two small tufts of hair suck up in the back center of her hair. They always did that. She could never seem to get them to lay flat. When she was pretty much satisfied with her appearance, she slipped into her light purple and orange laceless sneakers.

As soon as she stepped out into the town, she felt the sun's low warmth dance across her. Inhaling a crisp breath, she headed toward the train station. Her job was ticket selling for the Sunset Heights trains. Sunset Heights was actually a subsection of a city called Twilight Town. It was famous for its sunset. Even in midafternoon, the air was drenched in a honey-gold glow. It seemed to be twilight at all times of day. But at sunset, the sky lit on fire with a brilliant orange and red blaze, igniting the clouds with purples and pinks. It really was a sight to behold. They say the best spot to watch it set from is the Twilight Town clock tower. It also served as the train station for that side of town, but supposedly, there was a way to get up near the roof where there was a ledge to sit on. The girl had never personally been up there. In fact, she had only ever visited the main part of town a few times. But Sunset Heights had a tall hill that she liked to watch the sun set from. It seemed just as good a spot to her as the tower would be.

The youth arrived at the ticket booth and got into her station. It was early, but soon crowds of people would fill the streets and she would be swamped with ticket orders. She looked toward the sky, already praying the day was over. Although, she didn't really want it to be night either. She hadn't slept well for the last few weeks, plagued by the recurring nightmare she had been having for years. Sometimes, she wished it could be twilight forever. No work, no sleep, just watching the sun sink in the sky and not thinking about anything.

"Excuse me?" came a voice. The girl's head snapped up. A tall man was standing in front of the booth. "I need one ticket for downtown, please."

"Oh…right," she mumbled, trying to shake off her previous thoughts. She quickly printed off a ticket and slid it through the opening in the glass, taking the man's munny. "Thanks. Enjoy your ride." The man thanked her back and headed toward the train. More and more people began to flood in. Business had started, and with it, another day in the life of Kyra.

During her lunch break, Kyra headed to the store to buy something to eat. Ticket selling certainly didn't pay well, but it was enough to get by and it was easy work. Almost a little too easy. At times, she wished she had a job that required thought and maybe even physical labor. Just something to occupy her mind with. She took her meager lunch up to Sunset Hill and sat, gazing out at the endless horizon. The village was filled with its usually busy commotion, but at the same time, it had an atmosphere of quiet and peace. She watched the trains slowly pulling out of the station, then riding off across their steely tracks, disappearing into the distance as if enveloped by the sunlight. Kyra sighed, chewing slowly, sitting alone on the hill, wondering if anyone down there even knew who she was.

The fact was, no one down there noticed her. But someone else did, someone who was watching her at that very moment. Hidden under a black cloak, their face wasn't visible. Another hooded figure stood beside them, analyzing.

"That's her?" the first one asked.

"Yes. You are to keep a very close eye on her."

"Why her?"

"Do you question the Superior's intentions?"

The first figure looked down in embarrassment for stepping out of line. "No."

"Good," the other nodded, disappearing into a swirling portal behind. The other figure, who was still there, turned to the young girl who had just gotten up to leave. Because of the mission, but also out of curiosity, the masked being followed close behind, hiding in the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

The man in the black cloak stared out at Kingdom Hearts, the enormous heart-shaped moon that glowed ominously, bathing the world below in a silver blanket. He had been in Twilight Town earlier, giving an important mission to one of the lesser members. This was the beginning of a whole new era for Organization XIII. The blue-haired member grinned coldly up at the heart, an X-shaped scar planted between his hollow amber eyes.

"Soon…very soon…"

He was temporarily distracted when a Corridor opened next to him and the Superior slowly stepped out. "Well? The mission has begun?" the leader asked.

"Yes," grinned the moon gazer.

"Good," smiled the Superior, looking up toward the glowing orb of light above, the heart of all worlds. "And so comes the beginning of the rebirth."

* * *

Kyra walked toward her house, unaware that a shady figure silently followed her like a shadow. Staying hidden, the unknown character watched intensely. Why was the Superior interested in a random townsfolk? After the girl was in her house, there wasn't much else that could be done. The hooded figure retired for the night, melting into the darkness and disappearing.

The Organization member reappeared in the Castle that Never Was, the Organization's stronghold. There were only a few other Nobodies in the Grey Area, which was a room of the castle where the members were sent on and returned from their missions. Nobodies were empty beings without hearts. They were created when a human's heart was taken by the darkness. The shell that was left over became a separate being that could think and act on its own. The entire Organization was made of Nobodies. Their purpose? To become whole.

Saix, the blue-haired second-in-command, walked over to the newly-returning member. "You have training in the Hall of Empty Melodies. Report there immediately." The Nobody gave an eye roll that couldn't be seen from under the hood and walked out of the room.

Roxas, the thirteenth member of the Organization, was already down in the training area. He let out a fierce cry as he leapt forward, cutting the practice dummies clean in half. He flipped through the air, hurling his Keyblade and destroying the wooden dolls where they stood. He landed swiftly on his feet, breathing heavily and starting to break a sweat while he stood surrounded by rubble and ruin.

"Heh, not bad," called the hooded member who had just walked in. "I betcha I could do better, though."

Roxas glanced over. "Uh, do you ever put that thing down?" he chuckled, referring to the hood. His fellow Nobody immediately reached up and pulled it down, revealing her face.

"There? That better?"she laughed. "I just don't like making eye contact with Saix. That dude scares me."

"Haha, true that," grinned Roxas. He liked hanging out with Ari. She was one of the nicest people in the Organization and she wasn't super serious like most of the others. She was only slightly taller than Roxas was. She had deep emerald eyes and her hair was brown and slightly wavy, running down just past her shoulders. Even when she wasn't smiling outwardly, she always had this gleam of life in her eye like something was funny.

"You already look pretty tired, but you wanna go another round?" Ari asked as she drew her Kingdom Key D. It was the reverse of Roxas' key, with a silver hand guard and a golden shaft and blade.

"Tired? Me? Yeah right!" teased Roxas, grinning competitively, getting into his fighting stance.

"Alright then, Mr. Confident," she shrugged, "but no crying when you can't keep up!"

As new practice targets appeared, the two friends leapt in opposite directions, swinging expertly, focusing intently. Roxas whipped around rapidly, slicing all the dummies on his side in half. Ari jumped over the top of hers, flipping upside down and cutting them apart as she flew through the air. She quickly flipped upright right before she reached the ground and landed perfectly in a crouched position. Then they both glanced toward the middle, where the last target stood. Their eyes locked momentarily, then fell back on the wooden figure again. Roxas charged forward first, Ari only a second behind.

Right before Roxas could thrust his blade through it, Ari leapt and parried his strike, then whipped around to cut through with her key. Now Roxas was the one who flipped in front of her and deflected the attack. Temporarily, they forgot that they were even trying to destroy the dummy and just fought each other. The strikes went back and forth, both Nobodies avoiding any damage. After a resounding parry, they were both knocked back from the force. They landed on either side of the open hall. Looking up at each other, they exchanged confident smirks and both flew up into the air at each other, weapons raised. Roxas, surrounded in an aura of light, met his adversary, who was shrouded in a shadowy mist. Both Nobodies overestimated their jumps. Unable to stop, they literally collided in the air, their heads banging together and their barriers exploding, rays and shadows firing through the room.

They both fell down to the floor, landing right on the forgotten dummy, causing it to collapse inward. The two groaned and sat up, rubbing their sore backs and aching heads. Then after a moment, after analyzing everything that had happened and seeing the rubble underneath them, the friends started laughing. Soon, the Hall of Empty Melodies was full of not-so-melodious giggles.

"Does this count as a tie?" Roxas chuckled.

"I think so," Ari continued laughing.

"What's going on in here? Did I miss all the fun?" came a voice from the entrance. In walked Axel, a very tall redhead who was Roxas' best friend. Ari was his friend too, and Axel said she was also a best friend, but she could tell that Roxas a lot closer to him than she would ever be. They just seemed to understand each other. But nevertheless, they were still good friends and Ari was really close to Roxas. She talked to him about everything.

Roxas got up. "Hey Axel!" Ari followed suit. Axel cocked an eyebrow.

"And we're lying on top of a pile of wooden scraps laughing like lunatics because…?"

Ari grinned widely, still holding in laughter. "Long story."

Axel chuckled to himself. "Well, just checking if the kiddies wanted some ice cream…."

"Do you even have to ask?" exclaimed Roxas, running outside. Ari laughed and ran off too. Axel shook his head.

"Ok, that's settled then…Sheesh, what's gotten into those two?"

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Well, there's chapter two! Tell me what you thought:) Thank you to The Infiniator for reviewing! Reviews make my day and lemme know how I'm doing so they're greatly appreciated...Be watching for the next chapter coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

An alarm clock sounded. Emerald eyes slowly opened. Ari glanced over at the clock. It read 9:30, the only tell-tale sign that morning had arrived. The world was constantly clouded over, dark and gloomy at all hours. The young Nobody threw her covers off and put her cloak on over her underclothes. Then, drawing the hood over her head, she headed toward the Grey Area.

When she arrived, Saix was already there, gazing up at Kingdom Hearts like usual. He heard the footsteps behind him but made no move to show so. "Your mission is the same as yesterday," he announced, not even turning to face the lesser member. Ari grumbled and summoned up a Corridor. Hardly even glancing back, she stepped through and became one with the shadows.

Stepping out onto Sunset Hill, Ari pulled down her hood and felt the comforting warmth of the sun on her face. Then, returning to business, she covered her face once again and headed toward the town. She kept hidden, but it was hardly necessary. There was no one in sight. Confused, the brunette stepped over to the wall of a building where a poster hung. She took it down and examined it. It read:

STRUGGLE MATCH

Today in the Sandlot! Twilight Town, Sector 3!

**Be there!**

She stuck it back up on the wall, then headed toward a map of the town. She looked at it, figuring out how the town was laid out. She figured she would have to take a train to get to the other sectors of town. Normally, that would be dangerous because it would be so easy to be spotted and rouse suspicion, but there wasn't a soul in sight. Ari walked over to the train station. To her surprise, the ticket seller was the girl she was supposed to be following. The Nobody was grateful that her wasn't visible, because her look of shocked surprise probably would have seemed strange. She tried to act casual.

"You're, um…not going to the thing today?"

Kyra looked up, surprised that anyone would even be talking to her. "Oh, uh….no. Do you need a ticket?" She had started to reach for one before the cloaked figure even responded. Ari held up her hand.

"No, no. I'm just…hanging out around here today," she quickly replied. "So…why aren't you going? Isn't the whole town gonna be there?"

The raven-haired teen shrugged. "I don't care for Struggle, I guess." Ari honestly didn't even know what that was. She also didn't know what to say next or even what to do. Should she just walk away? Or stand there awkwardly? She inwardly groaned. This is why Nobodies weren't supposed to interact with people of the worlds. It was too suspicious.

"Why do you hide your face?" Kyra piped up. Normally, she didn't like to talk to people and especially wouldn't ask such a personal question but it just came out. Immediately, she felt awful. "Oh, sorry, I just…-"

"No, it's fine, um…I just don't like sunlight," Ari quickly fibbed. In reality, she loved the sun and its warmth and light.

"Oh, wow. Tough luck," Kyra replied. "I mean, living somewhere that's sunny all the time."

"Yeah…" Ari glanced up at the sky. The mid-morning light dyed the air a brilliant yellow with slightly orange hues shining throughout. What was she doing here anyway? Supposedly, the Organization was studying hearts. Why was this girl's heart so intriguing? And what was she supposed to be looking for in this girl that would add to their research? It didn't make any sense. But a mission was a mission. Ari casually leaned against a wall.

"You work here every day?"

"Um…yeah," Kyra admitted. Another awkward silence followed. Ari glanced up at the golden sky, savoring the few warm rays that slipped under her hood onto her neck. She couldn't wait until the mission was over today. She, Roxas, and Axel were going to meet over on the Twilight Town clock tower for ice cream. They tried to do so at least once a week, and she loved those times. Kyra's voice broke her from her thoughts.

"So where do you work?"

Ari tensed up. Bad, bad, bad. Bad situation. Frantically, she tried to think up a lie. Instead, she found herself running. Once she was a few blocks away, she stopped, facepalming and groaning. _Stupid!_ she yelled at herself. She sighed and flipped her hood back, walking down a deserted alley. She decided to keep her distance for the rest of the day. Maybe she could try talking to her again tomorrow. She had to get info out of her somehow. Axel would probably have some tips on keeping cool. He was good at that stuff.

The fourteenth sighed and leaned against a wall in exasperation. She had been in the Organization for a pretty long time now, about a year and a half. She hated it, but supposedly they were all going to get hearts and become whole. She had considered running away multiple times, but shed didn't really have anywhere to go and she did want a heart. She inhaled deeply and looked up at the sky. How long would it take anyway, to gain a heart? Ari ran a frustrated hand through her hair, then headed through a Corridor.

She came out by the Twilight Town clock tower. She pulled her hood down and looked around. Just like Sunset Heights, this part of Twilight Town was quiet and empty. Ari frowned and headed down the street. As she walked, she didn't see anyone but she did hear a faint noise in the distance. A soft him. As she approached the source of the sound, it became clearer and the young Nobody realized it was cheering. She stepped around a corner to find an enormous crowd of people. Confused, she went in closer to see what the commotion was about.

Pushing and elbowing her way through the crowd, she finally made it to the front of the group. In the center of the mob was a large square stand with two people standing on it. Each of them held a blue club in their hands and they were sparring. The crowd cheered wildly each time someone got a hit in. Ari confusedly watched, trying to comprehend everything. From the looks and sounds of it, it was some sort of sport. The Nobody continued watching, becoming slightly amused. For fun, she wanted to jump up and join the fight, but obviously the Organization would have some problems with that. Still, the girl chuckled to herself at the thought of it. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the crowd. She began to scream but another hand wrapped around her mouth to silence it, pulling her into a dark alley.


	4. Chapter 4

Ari squirmed and tried to free herself. "Shh! It's me!" the voice of her assailer said. She was released and she whipped around to see Axel. She groaned.

"Axel, you scared me to death!"

"What are you doing?" he hissed back. "It's bad enough to waltz through a mob of townspeople, but with your hood down?"

"Settle down," the brunette rolled her eyes. "No one was paying attention to the people around them anyway."

Axel sighed. "Alright, just…don't let Saix find out. I don't wanna see you get Dusked or anything, that's all."

Ari chuckled. "It's not _that_ serious, but thanks for caring so much," she teased. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Struggle match," he replied. "Roxas wanted to come watch and I didn't feel like doing recon today so…here we are."

"Axel is skipping a mission? C'mon, I don't wanna see you get Dusked!" Ari mocked. Just then, another cloaked member walked over and pulled down their hood. It was Roxas.

"Hey Ari!" he grinned. "You here to watch the Struggle match too?"

The Nobody scratched her head. "Um, actually, I have an ongoing mission here but…I'm done for today."

"Cool!" the blonde exclaimed. "Come hang out with us! Then we'll get some ice cream later!"

"Ok," she nodded in reply, "Sounds great!"

As the three friends watched the Struggle match, Roxas explained the rules of the game to Ari. They all got into it, yelling and cheering for their favorite player, betting on who would win. "Alright! It's the moment you've all been waiting for!" an announcer called out through a megaphone. "The final match for the chance to Struggle against our defending champion!" Both players began to step onto the stage. Just then, in the center of the arena, a dark pool of Shadow Heartless opened, the creatures emerging slowly. The three Nobodies stiffened.

"What are the Heartless doing here?" Roxas yelled, immediately summoning Kingdom Key. Ari didn't even reply, already dashing forward with her weapon in hand. The crowd scattered, everyone screaming as the creatures pounced toward them. Roxas leapt into the air in an uppercut, slicing through them before they could harm anyone. Ari jumped onto the stage and began hacking the monsters apart. Axel threw chakrams from a distance, sniping out any Heartless that Ari didn't see behind her. Within a minute, all the Heartless were destroyed. The friends relaxed, sighing in relief, just as more Shadows started to crawl out of the swirling hole in the ground. "Ari!" Roxas yelled, running over to help. The teen whipped around and saw what Roxas was warning her of. With a quick slash, she cut through all of them in her path, then plunged her key into the black hole. A light shone and the pool disappeared.

Slowly calming down from the adrenaline, Ari sent her Keyblade away. "Well, that was unexpected." Axel looked toward the spot that all the villagers had run to.

"Yeah, we better go before everyone comes back."

"Aww, we won't even get to see who wins!" whined Roxas, bummed.

"We've made enough of a scene, I think," the redhead pointed out. Roxas couldn't argue with that and hesitantly agreed to leave. The three headed off towards the tower.

As the sun sank through the crimson sky, the three Nobodies sat atop the train station, enjoying sea salt ice cream and each other's company. It was silent for awhile, all of them staring out into the horizon. Roxas glanced over at his companions. Axel's eyes were downcast like he was thinking about something. Ari was gazing out into the sunset, that usual glint in her green eyes.

"So…" Roxas broke the silence. "How was the mission today, Ari?"

She looked over to her friend. "Oh, good. Heh, I had more fun hanging out with you guys though!" Roxas chuckled and looked back out at the sun. He bit into his ice cream bar. Ari frowned. "Why do you think the Heartless showed up, though? They haven't been spotted here for a long time."

Axel spoke up now. "Who knows? Their patterns are known to change drastically without warning. Either something's drawing them here or they just got bored."

Ari snorted. "The first seems much more likely, Axel."

He didn't say anything and just continued eating his ice cream. It fell silent again for a long time. Eventually, night began to fall.

"Hey, we should RTC," noted Roxas. Ari agreed. The three Nobodies got up and headed through a Corridor back to the castle.

* * *

I was falling…slowly falling through the dark…

I gracefully landed on a large circular floor made of stained glass. A large crack had snaked its way across the ground and other bits of the glass were missing completely. I had tried time after time to push this place from my mind, but now, it was back to haunt me. It was still so dark and broken…nothing had changed. Then, like every other night, a dark ooze crept across the floor, heading right for me.

_No, not again…_

Heartless began to crawl out of the dark river, slinking towards me, beckoning me to fight.

_I don't want this… _

They crawled closer as I backed away, heart pounding against my chest. They could hear it, the steady pulse beneath my skin, the life-giving light that they desired. I was cornered at the edge of the floor. Nowhere to run…

_Leave me alone…_

Nowhere to hide…

_Get away from me…!_

One Shadow leapt through the air at me, claws poised to rip me apart. I squinted my eyes shut and screamed.

"GO AWAY!" Kyra flew up in bed, sweating and shaking uncontrollably. It was a warm summer night, but her whole body was ice cold. Shivering and panting, she wrapped up in her blanket and laid back down. It was the same dream every night. They always came for her. She always woke up right before the darkness swallowed her. She had the dream constantly, but it always felt far too real.

She glanced at the clock. 1:32. She slowly closed her eyes, trying to drift back into a troubled sleep. After hours of tossing and turning, she sighed and got up to get ready for the day. Exhausted, she trudged to the kitchen to make breakfast just as the sun peeked over the horizon.

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Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please review! (you don't have to have an account to review stories!) Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Oh noes, I realized I forgot a disclaimer at the beginning! I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, CONCEPTS, ETC. There. So yeah, I'm soooo sorry this hasn't been updated in FOREVER! Something was messed up with my account and I couldn't upload anything. Yeah, I was so bored and it was majorly annoying, so i had to get that fixed... But yeah, sorry so much for the wait! thanks for bearing with me! So, onward!

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Ari slowly opened her eyes and yawned. She stretched and sat up in bed, looking out the window. She sighed. Dark clouds loomed in their usual place, blanketing the whole world in perpetual night. _Thank Kingdom Hearts I have my mission in Twilight Town,_ the Nobody thought to herself. _Otherwise, I'd never see the sunlight. _Ari had control over darkness but she did enjoy _some_ light. All the Nobodies in Organization XIII had control over a certain element. Xemnas was particularly interested in Ari's power. Roxas, the other Keybearer of the Organization, had control over light, but in a way, it made sense. The Keyblade was a weapon of the light, used to slay darkness. But Ari could wield one and still use dark powers. She didn't know why and neither did the Superior, but she didn't question it.

The young Nobody rolled out of bed and started to put on her uniform. Within a few minutes, she was ready for the day and began to head to the Grey Area. On her way, she met up with Roxas. "Hey Ari! Wait up!" he called, running up alongside her. He couldn't see her face, but he had a pretty good guess as to who the only Nobody who would wear their hood up in the castle was.

"Y'know, I'm not even going to ask anymore."

"Huh?" Ari cocked her head. Then she realized what he was talking about. "Oh…yeah. Sorry." She flipped it down.

"No problem. It's just kinda funny," Roxas laughed.

"Hey, if you were a girl trapped in a castle with a group of older men, you'd feel exposed and self-concious too!" she countered. Roxas scratched his head.

"I guess so."

They arrived at the Grey Area, stepping in together to find Saix as always, along with Demyx, Larxene, and Luxord on some of the couches. As they walked in, Saix turned to face them. He glanced at Ari and nodded, affirming that she had the same mission. She quickly looked away and disappeared down a Corridor.

* * *

It was a beautiful early morning in Twilight Town. Ari stepped out of the dark swirling portal, watching the sun's rays dance up her body. Experimentally, she slowly removed one glove. She held her palm out, feeling the golden heat soak into her fingers. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation. She had never felt the sunlight except on her face. She loved the feeling on her hand and kept turning it over, watching the light shift across her skin.

Her Nobody senses jerked her out of her daze. She heard footsteps. In a flash, she pulled her glove back on and ran to crouch behind a bush. Peeking through the leaves, she saw that it was Kyra. She watched curiously as the girl walked to the middle of the hill and sat down, watching the sun rise. She gazed out with a longing stare, the sun illuminating her lonely eyes. Somehow, in the light, there was a pain in her eyes that Ari hadn't noticed before. She cocked her head, waiting. Kyra didn't move. She just sat, enjoying the morning. The Nobody inwardly sighed. She couldn't wait here forever. Her legs would cramp up. But she couldn't just show herself either. Pop out from behind a bush. 'Hey, I'm supposed to spy on you, so…mind if I join you?' Yeah right. The girl summoned a small Corridor and slipped through, disappearing from sight.

Kyra glanced at her watch. She sighed. It was time for work. Standing up and taking one last look at the sun peeking over the hilltop, she headed toward the train station. From atop a building, a tall cloaked figure watched her. His beady eyes followed her down the road, scanning the terrain.

Kyra went to her station and opened up the window for business. A steady flow of people circulated through, buying tickets for their trips. It was only a matter of minutes before screams were heard. There was a huge commotion as townsfolk poured out of the boarding train, running for their lives. Kyra leaned out of her booth but couldn't see what was wrong. She jumped up from her chair and ran into the station. Pushing through the flow of people running toward her, she finally got close enough to see the problem. The last of the passengers ran from the train screaming, followed by a group of Heartless.

Kyra froze in terror. Her heart began to pound relentlessly in her ears as the creatures crawled toward her. Trying to shake out of her terrified state, she turned and ran. The Shadows followed, keeping a short distance between them and their prey. Suddenly, she felt her shoe catch on the ground. She tumbled forward and she found herself on the ground. Gasping, she whipped around to see a Shadow pouncing right for her. She screamed and squinted her eyes shut. Just before it got to her, a hooded figure leapt right through the dark monster, ripping it apart. Kyra opened her eyes and watched in shock as the masked hero flipped and slashed through the rest of the enemies with ease, using the Keyblade.

Kyra slowly got up, watching her rescuer. Their back was turned. "Who are you?" She questioned. The hooded Keybearer slightly glanced over her shoulder, but didn't answer. "Are you the person I met yesterday by the ticket booth?" Instead of answering, the Nobody ran. "Wait!" Kyra cried, but the cloaked figure was gone. She had disappeared around a corner.

Ari groaned as she headed through the castle to her room. She was not very good at this info-gathering thing. So far, she had revealed more about herself to Kyra than she had actually learned about her. She had used the Keyblade right in front of her! It didn't really matter if people knew what it was or not. It was still very suspicious. _If the Superior found out about this…_ Ari groaned in her head. She was walking past the hallway to the basement when she heard hushed voices. Instinctively, she pressed herself flat against the wall near the corner, listening intently. It sounded like Saix who was speaking. Normally, she wouldn't eavesdrop or even care to, but the way he was talking made it sound secretive. And to top it off, she recognized the second voice all too well.

"How is the mission going?" came Saix's voice.

"Which one?" Axel replied.

"Both," came Saix's stern and angry voice.

Axel chuckled. "Lighten up, Isa. Everything is working out fine."

"Don't call me that."

Ari frowned in confusion. Isa? She listened again. There was a pause.

"…Has the Superior given the order yet?"

"Yes," Saix replied. "In three days, we'll initiate the plan. You know your role."

"What about the Keybearers?"

"What about them?"

"Well…do you really think they'll follow through with it?"

"They have to. Their lives depend on it."

"They do anyway. Even if they cooperate, in the end, they'll still be…"

"They don't know that, do they?" Just from the way Saix said it, Ari knew he had an icy grin on his face. Her mind raced and her body was frozen in place. She took quick frantic breaths, trying to comprehend everything she just heard. What were they talking about? She and Roxas were the Organization's Keybearers. What did they have to follow through on? And what had Axel been about to say? They'll still be what? What would happen to them? And why was Axel even in on this? She couldn't think straight. As silently as she could, Ari dashed to her room and locked the door, burying her face in her pillow and shaking. She had just heard way too much.


	6. Chapter 6

Ari had a long restless night. She got up in the morning and headed toward the Grey Area, feeling sick to her stomach. "Hey Ari!" called Roxas, running up to meet her like usual. She gave an uneasy smile.

"Hi Roxas." She remembered last night's conversation between Axel and Saix. They said that the Keybearers' lives depended on something they had to do. But what? And how could she tell Roxas that were in danger, especially if Axel was in on it? She didn't want to hurt him; Axel was his best friend. But she didn't want him to _get_ hurt either.

"You OK, Ari?" Roxas asked, sensing something was wrong. She paused for a moment before answering. She couldn't tell him. Not before she had sorted everything out. "No, I'm fine. Hey, work hard on your mission today." She forced a smile, then immediately summoned a Corridor, escaping to Twilight Town before he could say anything else.

* * *

Kyra sat in her ticket booth quietly. It was a calm day. Not much traffic. She sighed and gazed out at the golden sky. Even with the beautiful morning, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. There had been Heartless in the town yesterday! They had come at her, just like her dream. It was all becoming real. It scared her to death. But despite the incident yesterday, Kyra couldn't help feeling slightly satisfied. She got off early today. She was planning to take a train to the other side of town for awhile. She wanted to get out a little instead of seeing the same buildings day after day. As soon as her shift was over, Kyra headed for the train that was about to leave. Telling herself that there were no Heartless onboard, she got in as the doors closed behind her.

Ari had boarded, as well. When she saw Kyra getting on, she had groaned. She couldn't just show herself in public, especially in a crowded space with a bunch of people. She had used her dark power to help, calling up shadows and darkness around her until she was completely invisible to the naked eye. Now she stood inside the train, about ten feet away from Kyra, unable to be seen by anyone onboard. The speaker came on as the conductor announced that they would be leaving shortly. The whistle sounded throughout the station, then the train took off, accelerating across the tracks.

Kyra sat quietly, staring out the window the whole time. Ari stood to the side of the aisle, holding onto one of the bars for balance. In a few minutes, the train slowed and eventually came to a stop in the Twilight Town clock tower station. The speakers came on. "Now unloading, thank you for riding and enjoy your day." The doors opened and everyone got up to exit. Unfortunately for Ari, invisible did not mean transparent. As everyone flocked to the doors, she was pushed and shoved backward, losing her grip on her powers and becoming visible again. Too panicked to focus on disappearing again, she frantically tried to get outside before Kyra saw her. However, the crowd was too thick and she couldn't push her way through. It wasn't long before Kyra was heading toward the exit. That's when she was spotted.

At first, Ari tried to look away and melt into the sea of people, but it was too late for that. As she moved to get out of there, a tall buff man had walked up from behind. Accidentally backing into him, Ari tripped and as she fell, her hood flipped down to reveal her face. Kyra's eyes widened slightly as she finally saw the face of her mysterious follower. Why was this person following her around anyway? They made eye contact for a brief second, then Ari quickly looked away, rising from her spot on the floor. Kyra walked over.

"You _are_ the person I met two days ago. And the one that rescued me." Ari couldn't hide it anymore. Obviously, she knew. Feeling awkward and unsure of what to say, the Nobody just got straight to the introductions.

"I'm Ari."

"I'm Kyra," the black-haired teen replied. "Um, why have you been following me around?"

Ari scratched her head. "Well…uh…." Oh boy. How would she explain this? Obviously she couldn't really tell her why she was tracking her, but she needed a good lie. Unable to think of anything at the moment, she tried to quickly change the subject. "I wasn't following really, I've… just been around town lately. So what are you up to on this side of town?"

"Oh, well, sorta just taking a day off, I guess. You?"

"Same," Ari replied, happy to have an easy answer.

"Hey, you wanna hang out for the day?"

Ari looked shocked at first, then slowly smiled. "Sure." After all, it was much easier to watch her if she was right there with her all day, but at this point, Ari just wanted a day off too. No more hiding, no more sneaking, no more mission. Just passing time and not worrying about anything.

The two girls got off the train and looked around at the huge train station. It was much larger than the one Kyra worked at. They walked out into the sunlight, smiling at the beautiful sky. "So, you wanna check out the downtown area?" asked Kyra, "I think that's where all the shops and stuff are."

"Sure!" Ari nodded, and the two headed off down the road. Little did Ari know that she wasn't the only member there that day. A cloaked figure stood atop the clock tower, looking down at the two girls. He watched as they disappeared down the hill. Turning to a Corridor next to him, he entered the darkness, blending into the void.

Down at the town square, Ari and Kyra excitedly looked around at all the shops and people in the street. There was a commotion in the air and both girls could feel it. This side of town was so busy and had exciting vibes coming from everything. "Well," started Ari, "shall we?" She started to walk, heading for the first shop she saw, and Kyra followed close behind. Although neither of them had spare munny to spend, they both enjoyed just browsing and occasionally having a small conversation.

The day flew by and it wasn't long before the newfound friends were getting back on the train to head for home. Kyra smiled to herself. Just for the day, she had forgotten all her troubles and worries. In fact, she could almost say she felt happy. She glanced over at her companion. Ari smiled back. She had had a worry-free day too, temporarily forgetting all the secrecy and scheming going on within the Organization. She was sure that if she had a heart, she would feel content right now.

"Thanks, I had fun today, Kyra," Ari told her. Kyra smiled.

"Yeah, me too. Hey, will I see you around town?"

Ari became uneasy. "Uh…sure." She should probably go back to sneaking around town, but she seemed to blend in enough today. She didn't really stand out or get noticed by anyone, and outright talking to Kyra certainly was more effective than watching her sit in a chair all day. Ari lightened up, realizing this would actually make things easier. "Yeah, I'll come by for awhile tomorrow if you want."

"OK," Kyra nodded as the train pulled into the Sunset Heights station. She walked toward her house, waving back to Ari. "See you later then!" As soon as she was out of sight, Ari slipped around a corner and called up a Corridor to RTC. As Kyra headed home, she became more serious again. Who was Ari anyway and why _was_ she following her? She didn't seem like she was from around there and there was something funny about her that Kyra couldn't quite put her finger on.

But above all, the thing Kyra wanted to know was: Why did Ari have a Keyblade?

* * *

Well, there's chapter 6! Hope you're enjoying! If you are, please review! If not, please tell me why so I can improve! I appreciate the support, thanks to everyone who reads:)


	7. Chapter 7

As usual, Ari awoke to the rumbling clouds above. She got dressed and headed toward the Grey Area. And again, as usual, Roxas ran up to greet her. "Hi Ari!" he smiled. Then his face became more serious. "Hey, about yesterday, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ari assured him. Roxas scratched his head.

"Ok, 'cause if I said something-"

"No, you're fine, Roxas," Ari shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong."

He immediately cheered up. "Ok, good. So you wanna have ice cream with me and Axel later? On the clock tower?" Ari was still wary of Axel after hearing him talking to Saix, but he was their friend after all. He wouldn't just betray them. Besides, he had seemed unsure of the whole idea, like he was concerned for their safety. Ari smiled.

"Of course, I'll be there!"

Then together, the two friends walked into the Grey Area. Ari pulled her hood up as she entered a Corridor, ready for another day at Twilight Town.

Once in Twilight Town, Ari happily put her hood down. She savored the sunlight and the thought of not hiding anymore. Walking casually down the hill, she headed toward the train station.

Kyra sat in her booth, silently anticipating Ari's visit. She had had a great day yesterday and loved having someone to talk to. In fact, now that she thought about it, she hadn't had her usual nightmare that night. She knew it was temporary, but for now, she felt happy. "Hey Kyra!" came a voice from nearby. The teen looked up to see Ari walking over.

"Hi, Ari!"

"Well, how's business?" the Nobody asked.

"Good," Kyra nodded. "How are you?"

"Good."

The two spent the next hour chatting while Kyra handed out tickets to customers. Soon, it was lunch break. The two headed up to Sunset Hill and sat together, relaxing. Kyra offered Ari some of her lunch and they both quietly ate while enjoying the mid-afternoon sky. That's when Ari saw a cloaked figure at the bottom of the hill, sneaking around corner out of sight. Frowning, she stood up.

"Ari?" Kyra said questioningly. Still watching the spot where the Organization member had been, the Nobody replied, "I have to go." Then walking away quickly, she headed for the alley where they had been. She picked up the pace as she went down the hill, breaking into a run and pulling her hood up. She sped around the corner, afraid she had lost them. To her surprise, they stood right there around the corner, waiting. Confused, Ari pulled her hood down.

"What's going on?"

The other member reached up and pulled down their hood, revealing their identity. It was Axel.

"Axel?" Ari asked incredulously.

"What are you doing?" he hissed back.

"I should ask you the same thing!" she countered.

"Look," the redhead whispered. "You're supposed to be spying on her, not befriending her!"

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean I need you to do the spying part for me! Just how long have you been following us anyway?"

"Hey, it's my mission. I'm supposed to watch you for awhile," Axel explained. "Xemnas is testing your loyalty to the Organization. He wants me to report back on everything you do."

Ari's eyes widened. "You didn't tell him about yesterday, did you? Or the day before when I fought the Heartless in front of her?"

Axel gave an uneasy smile. "Ari, I can't just skip missions…"

Ari looked down at her shoes. "I guess not, I just…" Then she looked up, straight into Axel's eyes. "I heard you talking to Saix two nights ago." Axel looked away at this.

"Ari, I-"

"There's something you're not telling us! What's going on, Axel?"

"I…I can't….tell you…"

"Why not? We're your best friends!"

He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away. "Ari, please…I'm trying to protect you."

"You're trying to protect us while you keep all these secrets between you and your big Organization buddies and don't even tell your real friends that they're in danger?"

"Ari, listen, I-"

"Forget it!" she yelled, clenching her fists, her eyes filling with regret. "I'm sorry…." She turned and walked away, pushing away the pain in the pit of her stomach, not daring to look back at her friend's betrayed face. Axel called after her. "Ari, wait!" The girl stopped momentarily, glancing over her shoulder.

"It's fine, Axel. Just go. Roxas is waiting for you." Then she continued walking, pulling her hood up to hide the world from herself, and left Axel alone in the dark.

* * *

"Hey, Axel!" Roxas greeted cheerily as his companion appeared on the tower next to him. "Here!" He pulled an ice cream bar out of the bag next to him and handed it to Axel. "Thanks," the redhead muttered, sitting down next to his young friend. He bit into the bar, chewing slowly and thinking. Roxas smiled over at him.

"So how was the mission today?"

The Nobody didn't respond right away. He stared out at the sunset, not even glancing over at Roxas.

"It was fine."

They both went back to eating their ice cream. After a few minutes, Roxas looked back over his shoulder. "I wonder where Ari is."

Axel sighed. "I don't think she's coming."

"Huh? But she said-"

"Something came up. She couldn't make it."

"Oh…" The young Keybearer looked down at his melting ice cream, having lost his appetite. "…Hey, Axel?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think Ari's OK? She's been acting kinda weird the last few days. I think something's wrong." Axel just stared straight ahead, solemnly putting the treat to his lips and nibbling on it. "Do you know of anything that happened to her that would make her like that?" Axel looked off in the other direction, away from his friend. It was the only defense he had to hide his shame. His eyes would give him away.

"I don't know, Roxas….I don't know…."

* * *

Sorry, I know it's pretty short, but contains important plot stuff nonetheless! Please leave a review, it would make my day:) Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Roxas made sure he met up with Ari before she left for her mission. He found her in the hall, heading toward the Grey Area. "Hi, Ari."

"Hey, Roxas. Sorry about yesterday. I couldn't go."

"It's OK, I guess," he shook his head. "I was just making sure you were alright. Something seemed wrong but I asked Axel about it and he said he didn't know anything."

Ari looked down at the floor as she walked. Axel hadn't said anything about their fight. It should have made her mad that he was he still keeping secrets, but even if she had emotions, she would understand. He didn't want his friend to worry. He was just protecting him.

"Everything's fine, Roxas," sighed Ari, sounding so unconvincing that she didn't even believe herself. "Just a lot on my mind right now." And with that, she summoned up a Corridor and fled to Twilight Town.

* * *

Kyra waited in her booth, hoping Ari would show up. She knew it was probably a lost cause. Ari probably had more important things to do. Besides, maybe it was better she stayed away. Sooner or later, she would find out Kyra's secret. The teen sighed and sat back in her chair, slipping back into her usual lonely state. Ari glumly watched Kyra's boring day pass by from a distance, knowing Axel was probably watching the whole time. She looked around occasionally, but never saw him. _He hides pretty well_, Ari thought to herself.

The day passed slowly, but finally evening fell. Kyra closed up shop and started to walk home. Ari silently followed in the shadows. She doubted there was anything vital that would happen on the way, but at least it would look good on her part. As Kyra reached her front door and took out her keys to open it, Ari froze. Her instincts had flared up. She sensed another Nobody nearby and it was definitely inside the house.

As Kyra turned the knob and opened the door, Ari burst out of the darkness. "Kyra, get out of here!"

"Huh?" the confused girl turned. "Ari?" A hand shot out of the entrance and wrapped around Kyra's mouth from behind, pulling her into the darkness of the room. Ari sprinted toward the house, bursting in with Keyblade drawn. The Nobody was Lexaeus, but Ari didn't have time to be surprised. He was dragging Kyra toward a Corridor. Ari leapt through the air, key raised, and brought it down to slice through the Organization member. He avoided the attack by quickly warping across the room, which conveniently freed Kyra. Lexaeus glared up at Ari with his somber eyes, then drew his axe sword. Rushing forward, he swung powerfully against Ari's defending blade. The force of the blow nearly knocked her out. She stumbled to her knees, dizzy from the impact. He raised the massive weapon once more, poised to crush the young Nobody.

"Ari!" Kyra cried in worry, sending a barrier flying outward from herself. It pushed Lexaeus backward, smashing him into a wall. Ari was in shock for a moment. How had she just done that? However, she seized the opportunity and quickly opened a Corridor. Grabbing Kyra, who looked just as stunned as she was, Ari pulled her through the portal with her. Lexaeus roared in anger as it closed behind them, barring him from following.

The two appeared on the other side of the Corridors, panting from the commotion. They started to settle down before they glanced over at each other, questions in both of their eyes. Kyra just looked away and said quietly, "Thanks." There was a pause. "Ari…" Kyra started. "Who was that man? He had the same coat as you."

Ari swallowed hard. How could she explain it? She didn't even know most of what was going on. But one thing she knew for sure was that she had chosen her fate. There was no way she could go back to the Organization now. So did it matter if she told her?

"Did you know him?" Kyra urged.

Ari's eyes were focused on the ground. "Yeah."

"Who was he?"

"He…OK, look, Kyra," Ari looked up into her eyes now. "There's this group. Called Organization XIII. All of them wear these cloaks. I'm a part of them too…or I was. But I have no idea what they're planning. I don't know what's going on or why they would try to kidnap you."

"What about you?" Kyra wondered. "What were you doing in town that whole time?"

Ari looked down in embarrassment. "…Spying on you."

Kyra frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know," Ari replied. "It was the Superior's orders, our leader. We don't question our assignments. We just do them. But…obviously the Organization wants you for some reason. I don't know why, but we're going to have to stay hidden."

Kyra worriedly nodded. Ari focused intently, trying to sort through everything that had happened. Then she turned to look at the world around them. She hadn't picked any place in particular. She had just gotten them out of there as fast as she could. She recognized where they were, though. Beast's Castle. The enormous spires of brick towered above the two friends, pointing to the ominous stormy sky. "Let's go," Ari said, stepping forward. Kyra followed and they snuck into the tunnels beneath the castle.

Kyra and Ari crept through the tunnels of the castle. Both were silent. Occasionally the Organization had missions here, but Ari didn't think they used the hidden passageways very frequently. Either way, the two had to be ready to hide at any moment. Ari slinked like a cat through the maze of tunnels, scoping out the area. When the coast appeared to be all clear, she and Kyra settled in. There wasn't much to do. Eventually, they would have to snatch some food. For now, Ari was just trying to keep them alive until she figured out a plan. She would probably have to constantly live in hiding; the Organization wasn't too forgiving. But Kyra still had a chance at a normal life.

"Kyra, I'm sorry," Ari muttered as the two sat on the cool stone of the floor, leaning against the hard wall behind them. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this." Kyra didn't say anything. There were so many things she wanted to ask, about Organization XIII, about what Ari's involvement with them was, about who Ari really was. But if Ari talked about her past, Kyra would probably have to return the favor. And she wasn't ready to do that.

Both of them sat in silence for awhile. Both thinking, both pondering each other, what had happened, what was going to happen next, and their very existence.

* * *

"They got away," Lexaeus growled under his breath. Saix stood facing him in the Superior's office. Xemnas himself stood with his back turned by the enormous window that served as the back wall, gazing out at Kingdom Hearts. He remained silent, but was listening all the while.

"They?" asked Saix. "As I recall, your mission only involved the retrieval of _one_ person."

Lexaeus glanced to the side. "Number XIV escaped with her. She prevented me from taking the girl."

Eyes still fixed on the heart of all worlds, the Superior spoke now, never turning toward the other members. "No matter. She was against us from the start."

"Then we don't need the girl, either. She's of no use to us," Xemnas' second-in-command stated.

"No," Lexaeus shook his head, cutting in. "She may prove to be the key player in this whole plan."

Saix's eyes widened. "You don't mean…?"

"Yes," the somber man said firmly. "She used her powers."

"So the Heartless' patterns aren't just coincidence…" Saix speculated.

"Soon," Xemnas' lips turned up at the ends, golden stare fixed above. "Soon, she will have to fight again. And once that happens, her old self will return, her heart will fall to us, and the plan can be fulfilled."

Just then, Zexion warped in. "Superior, Number VIII is back. His mission is complete. Number XI and IV finished earlier, as well. Number XII should finish shortly."

Xemnas finally turned to face the others. He nodded slowly toward Zexion. "Yes. Send Number VIII in. The rest of you are dismissed." Zexion left immediately to find Axel. Lexaeus warped away, as well. Saix remained for a moment.

"Superior…surely Axel has proven himself. He reported back on Number XIV's progress and completed today's assignment easily."

"Indeed. But one last test will truly prove where his loyalty lies. Then we will know if he is worthy. Go now. You needn't be concerned anymore."

Saix nodded and called up a Corridor. He disappeared into the darkness, leaving the leader alone to watch the clouded sky.


	9. Chapter 9

Ari snuck quietly through the castle. It was early in the morning and it didn't sound like anyone else in the castle was awake. Number XIV crept into the kitchen and began looking for some food to swipe. She was worried about Kyra. She didn't know what had happened last night, but something was definitely wrong. She didn't really want to leave Kyra there by herself, but she seemed to really need the rest and Ari would be back within a few minutes. Besides, it's not like anyone would find her.

Kyra blinked her weary eyes open. She slowly rose to a sitting position and looked around. Where was Ari? She remained calm at first, but as she stood and kept looking around with little sign of her companion, her heart started to beat faster. "Ari?...Ari!" she called out. That's when she heard soft footsteps behind her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned around. But it wasn't Ari. There stood a NeoShadow and more were crawling up out of the ground.

Kyra's heart began to race again. She ran full speed in the other direction as the NeoShadows bounded after her. She found a doorway and burst through, never halting her dash. It led to some kind of ballroom. The Heartless closed in and surrounded her. Quivering, she let out a piercing scream that resounded through the empty halls. "HELP!"

Ari, who was in the kitchen nearby, shot up at the noise. "Kyra?" she looked confused. She quickly ran outside of the kitchen and looked around for the source of the yelling. She heard a commotion coming from the ballroom and took off in that direction. She ran faster as she heard more screams and scuffling of feet. She drew her Keyblade and burst through the main entrance to the ballroom. She paused in surprise for a moment. Kyra was running for her life from a large group of NeoShadows. Kyra, upon seeing her friend in the doorway, yelled again. "Ari, help!"

The Nobody's face instantly fell into a serious determined expression and she charged straight toward the incoming mob. Kyra's eyes widened and she ducked in surprise as Ari leapt right over her, flipping through the air and slicing down the nearest Heartless. The others closed in, their attention on her now. She held her ground, her face unwavering, as the dark creatures all erratically leapt toward her. At the last moment, she jumped up in the air, whipping around and cutting two of the NeoShadows in half. She landed as the rest all dove toward her in the middle. She jumped twenty feet above them all, causing them to collide on one point, then hurled her key down at them. It struck the ground, emitting an enormous dark blast out from it. The Heartless flew backward, dissipating in the air.

Ari landed masterfully and removed her Keyblade from the ground. "You OK?" she asked as she turned to Kyra. The frightened teen nodded, beginning to calm down.

"You're good with a Keyblade," Kyra softly commented. Ari looked up in shock. She knew what a Keyblade was? Before the Nobody could ask her anything, though, the doors to the room burst open.

"Belle!" yelled the large furry beast that ran in. Then he looked at the two in confusion. "I thought I heard Belle scream…" He stared at Kyra, wondering who she was or what she was doing there. Then he looked over to Ari and saw the black cloak. He growled angrily. "Rrrrr, your kind is not WELCOME HERE!"

He pounced forward, swinging his claws at the Nobody. Ari shoved Kyra to the ground out of the way and flipped backward, away from the attack. The Beast kept coming, roaring and trying to rip her apart. Ari swiftly dodged all of the attacks. Quickly, she called up the shadows around her and vanished from sight. Kyra looked just as confused as Beast was. Where had she gone? Suddenly, the girl felt a hand grab her from behind and pull her into a Corridor.

On the other side, Ari showed herself again. Now the two appeared to be in an old abandoned castle overlooking a wide canyon. The world was desolate and hollow. Kyra panted tiredly from all the excitement. "T-thanks," she managed.

"Yeah. Hey, I'm sorry that I left," Ari apologized. "I was going to get more food but I didn't wanna wake you. I was gonna be right back."

"It's OK," Kyra shook her head. "You got there just in time. You saved me…again."

Ari scratched her head. "Why didn't you fight back? I mean, I saw you use some sort of power against Lexaeus, the guy who tried to kidnap you. You can defend yourself…right?"

Kyra shook her head. "No…No, I can't."

Ari gave a small chuckle. "Kyra, you gotta believe in yourself a _little_ bit."

"I just…don't like to fight," Kyra concluded. "I don't want power."

"Oh…" Ari looked down in thought. "Well, sometimes you have to protect yourself though, right?"

"Yeah," Kyra said in a half-whisper.

"And then you can protect others too, right?"

Kyra didn't answer, her back turned as she gazed out at the world below.

"Being able to protect the ones you love is the greatest thing in the world."

Still facing away, Kyra's friend couldn't see a single tear roll down her cheek, landing softly below.


	10. Chapter 10

It was early morning. Ari looked out at the vast empty plain below the castle. Kyra was still asleep. She tossed and turned and occasionally murmured things but she slept through the night, which was a good thing. She probably needed some solid rest. Ari was afraid the Corridors were wearing her out. Unprotected humans who used them would become drained of energy and eventually consumed. But at the same time, Kyra seemed fine. She didn't seem strangely exhausted or anything. _She's certainly resilient_, thought Ari.

Then the Nobody turned back toward the outside. She thought she could see some sort of town far in the distance. They would need food soon and that was probably their best bet. Unfortunately, if they were trying to avoid Corridor usage, they would have to walk all the way there and it was not a short hike. Ari was very tempted to just use the Corridors herself and go get food right now, but last time she did that, her friend almost became Heartless fodder.

Ari decided she didn't really have a choice. They hadn't eaten anything for nearly a day now and there was no way Kyra could trek all the way to the town on an empty stomach. Ari wasn't even sure she could. And even if the Heartless were in this world, they would be where all the people are. It was very unlikely that they'd come all the way out to the castle. Ari glanced over once more to make sure Kyra was sound asleep, then ran through a Corridor as fast as she could.

When she returned, Kyra was just waking up. Ari walked over and sat down, laying out everything she had snatched in front of her. "Hey, I got us some food. We haven't eaten in awhile, we'll need our strength." Kyra sat up, blinking away the tiredness in her eyes.

"Oh…thanks," she said, still coming to her senses. "Ari…do you think we're safe here? I mean, no one will find us way out here, will they?"

"Anything's possible," came a voice from behind. Ari and Kyra both whipped around, Ari jumping to her feet and instinctually drawing her Keyblade. Axel leaned against the back wall. Upon seeing Ari snap, he held up his hands defensively. "Whoa, settle down! It's just me!" Ari didn't ease up from her tensed defensive position. Kyra watched in shock. What had gotten into Ari? She had never seen her so angry.

"What are you doing here?" Number XIV spat through clenched teeth.

Axel stood up and started to walk over, but immediately stopped when Ari hunched even lower, ready to attack. "Look, Ari," he started. "I'm really sorry. About everything. But I'm here to help. You don't know what's really going on."

"No, I don't," Ari growled. "But whatever it is, it's not good. And you're helping them, you traitor."

"Traitor?" he chuckled. "You're the one running from them and disobeying orders."

At this, Ari leapt forward and shoved Axel against the wall, setting her key to his throat. "What is the Organization planning?"

"That's why I'm here! I'm trying to tell you! Sheesh, I sure taught you my violent side, didn't I?"

Ari held her glare, but finally relaxed and brought the weapon away from Axel's neck. Kyra stood clueless, waiting for an explanation as much as Ari was. The redhead glanced up at the ceiling and sighed, looking for the best place to begin. Then he looked back at Ari and Kyra.

"Do you wanna sit down?"

* * *

After the three had settled in and put a meal together, Axel began to explain everything. "Alright, well, you know the Organization is after hearts, right?"

Ari nodded. Kyra stared blankly.

"I, uh…haven't told her yet…" Ari scratched her head.

"Oh boy," Axel groaned. "Alright, Kyra-" Both girls jumped in shock. No one had mentioned Kyra's name yet. He just knew.

"See, the thing is…we aren't human. Me and your friend Ari here, we're not like you." Kyra looked confused but was listening intently. "We're what you call a Nobody," Axel continued. "We don't have hearts. We're just empty shells, left behind by people whose hearts have been consumed by darkness. So, we have no emotions."

Kyra glanced over at Ari as if asking if it was true. The brunette smiled weakly and looked away. There was no use in acting anymore. She knew the truth.

"So…this Organization is made up entirely of Nobodies?" Kyra confirmed. Axel nodded. "But they want hearts," she added.

"Yes."

"So what's going on then?" Ari joined in. Axel looked off into the distance. He sighed before speaking.

"Xemnas is convinced we can become our others."

"Our others? You mean…our human selves?"

"Yeah."

"But aren't they Heartless now?"

"Well, see, the Organization's Nobodies are special. We're all created from humans with exceptionally strong hearts. And those strong hearted people all found a way to regain themselves."

"But…how can we _become_ our others?"

"Well," Axel swallowed hard. "That's where the Keybearers come in. Xemnas is going to force the Keybearers to release the hearts of all the others…so we, the Nobodies, can gain them."

"Me and Roxas have to do that?"

"No," he shook his head. "You are the Nobodies of the Keybearers. We've been searching for your others. The true Keyblade wielders…Ari, Roxas ran away too. If the Organization finds either of you, they'll kill you."

Kyra started breathing heavier and began to pace around the room.

"Hey, it's OK, Kyra," Ari tried to calm her down. "They won't find us. I'll be fine."

Kyra just shook her head. "No, no, it's not you…me. They want me. That's why they tried to kidnap me." She began to pace faster, growing more and more frightened.

Ari frowned. "I don't…understand…."

"I used to be able to wield a Keyblade, Ari!" The Nobody froze in shock. Axel was still sitting, his eyes closed as he listened to the two figure everything out. Ari was at a loss for words.

"Kyra, I…didn't know…" She focused intently now, trying to piece everything together. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered a part of Axel and Saix's conversation that she had forgotten about. Axel had called Saix _Isa_. Ari's breathing picked up too, as a wave of realization swept over her. Her head shot up from thought and she looked straight at Axel.

"Axel…our others…Xemnas named us after our others, didn't he?"

Axel gave a long slow nod. Ari looked over at Kyra, her eyes wide with fear.

"Kyra…I'm your Nobody."


	11. Chapter 11

Ari thought back to the very first day of her mission. She had been told that the Superior was interested in Kyra and wanted her to keep a close eye on her. He hadn't explained why, but it all made sense now. If Xemnas wanted the Keybearers so that the Organization could regain their hearts, then he must have known Kyra used to wield one. Maybe he wanted to know if she still could. They had always planned to capture her, though. If they actually got her, they would probably force her to take innocent lives with the key. That was the plan, wasn't it? To release the other's hearts? Ari shuddered at the thought.

Kyra must have been thinking the same thing, because she started to look sick too. "Ari, if…if you're my Nobody…and the Organization is planning on gaining hearts from their others, then…releasing my heart will…"

She didn't finish the sentence, but Ari and Axel knew what she was thinking. Ari paled. She had wanted a heart her whole life, but if this was the only way to get it…she couldn't do it. She couldn't take someone's life just for her own good. Especially a friend's.

Axel stood up now. "Xemnas isn't going to order that your heart be taken. He doesn't care whether Ari gets a heart anymore. All of the other members who proved to be 'disloyal' were destroyed. He just wants you because of the key. He just needs _you_ to do the releasing for him."

Kyra cringed. "No, I can't. I can't take someone's life. He can't make me!"

"Hey, calm down," Ari coaxed. "Don't worry about it. There's no way we're taking orders from him!"

Axel sighed and looked off into the distance. "I was afraid you'd say that. You two are just as stubborn as Sora and Roxas. Must be a Keyblade thing, huh?"

Both Ari and Kyra made the connection that Sora must have been Roxas' other. "We can't let those people die," Kyra stated. "We have to do something."

"Yeah," Ari joined in. "Maybe we can rescue them all!"

"A Keyblade rebellion against the Organization, huh? This should be interesting," Axel chuckled, standing up and opening a Corridor. Ari stiffened.

"Where are you going?" she yelled.

"To round up the other troops, of course," he stated like it was obvious. Ari took a step forward, muscles slowly coiling to spring if needed.

"How do we know you're not just running back to Xemnas to rat us out?"

"Maybe I am," he shrugged. Ari stared dumbly, not knowing what to say. _Is he serious?_ she wondered. He certainly wasn't very good at defending his case. Something, though, about the way he said it made Ari believe he was on their side. Slowly, she untensed and stood up straight.

"Alright…go find them," Ari ordered, still watching him warily. He grinned and slipped through the darkness, allowing the portal to close behind him. There was a silence. Then Kyra spoke.

"I hope we can trust him."

* * *

Later that day, Axel returned with Sora and Roxas like he had promised. He had already explained everything to them about the Organization's plans. Ari wasn't even going to ask how he had convinced them to trust him. As the sun set and the first stars started to appear, the group got a campfire going and ate a small meal together. Roxas was as cheerful as always and Sora was cracking jokes and laughing like nothing was wrong. Kyra was grateful for the lighter mood, but she was still nervous about infiltrating the Nobodies' castle. Ari was worried too, or as worried as a Nobody can be.

The fourteenth member was still trying to figure Kyra out. If she was her Nobody, Kyra had become a Heartless at some point. What had happened to her? And how had she become human again? Ari thought of the Heartless tailing them through each world and the weird fits that Kyra had at night, most likely from bad dreams. What could have happened to her to make things that bad?

After awhile, Axel stood. "We should all get some rest," he announced. "I have a plan all laid out for us. We strike at dawn."

"Whoa! Hey there!" protested Sora. "Why are you in charge? I'm the Keyblade _Master_!" He emphasized the last word. "You don't even have a Keyblade!"

"All right," Axel crossed his arms. "You be the leader then. You figure out how to get into the castle undetected even though you've never been there before, free the prisoners from a dungeon whose location is a mystery to you, and take out Xemnas without any knowledge of his powers or fighting style."

Ari hid a chuckle. Kyra stifled a grin. Sora looked down at his shoes and didn't say another word.

"OK, any other questions? Comments? Concerns?" smirked Axel. "Good."

Then he lay down on the ground and closed his eyes. Roxas followed and Sora grumbled but did the same. Kyra and Ari both stayed sitting, watching the fire. It was silent for a long time.

"Ari?"

"Yeah?"

"What's it like to not feel anything?"

The Nobody didn't know how to reply. She had never thought about how not feeling felt. It wasn't something that could be described easily.

"Well…it's empty," she started. "I should be scared right now. So many things could go wrong tomorrow. We could all end up in huge danger. But I just feel…nothing. I don't know."

There was silence.

"Kyra?"

"Yeah?"

"What's it like to feel emotion?"

The girl stared at the ground, thinking. Ari's question was even harder to answer than Kyra's. She searched for the right words for a long time.

"Well…it's hard. I mean, happiness and excitement and love are great. But there are other feelings, too. Hurt. Regret. Shame."

Ari listened closely, almost feeling each emotion as she said it. In her friend's eyes, she could see every one of them. Hurt. Regret. Shame.

"Sometimes…I think it may be better not to have a heart at all."

Ari shook her head. "No, Kyra. Trust me, you're lucky. Nobodies…we don't even have a purpose."

"At least you don't feel lost and confused by it though."

The brunette didn't know how to reply to that. Kyra had a point. But really, deep down, the real reason Ari wanted a heart, the real reason they all did, was so they could exist. It wasn't about the emotions. It was about the being. Right now, they were all literally nothing. With a heart, they would be someone. Somebody.

"Kyra…what happened?" Ari suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" she wondered, looking confused.

"How did you become a Heartless? Was your world invaded?"

Kyra sighed and looked down in shame. "Yes. And no. I just…I screwed up."

"Sorry," Ari scratched her head. "This is kinda personal. You don't have to tell me."

"No," Kyra shook her head. "I hid it for so long, out of fear, but…I think I'm ready to let it out. Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Ari nodded. "I promise." Then she gave her full attention to the former Keybearer.

* * *

Yay, this chapter is actually pretty long! Sorta...Anyway, I hope you're enjoying! Kyra's big secret is going to be revealed next chapter! Sorry to end it right there, but it adds to the suspense X) Please review, otherwise I might not even post anymore...If people aren't reading, it's kinda depressing and discouraging...so if you read, PLEASE at least leave something. Thanks, you wouldn't believe what a difference it makes motivation-wise:) Thanks for the support as always!


	12. Chapter 12

"Well," Kyra began, trying to decide where to start. "Remember when you were following me around in Twilight Town and I always kept to myself and no one seemed to know me?" Ari nodded. "It wasn't always that way," Kyra continued. "I'm not even from Twilight Town. I ran away after what happened on my homeworld. And I wasn't always such a loner. I used to have two very close friends, Jade and Ryli. We were inseparable. We did everything together.

"They were better than me at everything, though. Jade was a dancer and she was so graceful at everything she did, the exact opposite of clumsy. Ryli was the funniest person I've ever met and everyone liked him. He was the friendliest, most outgoing guy at school. And then there was me. I didn't really have anything special. They both told me I was a great friend and that was my best trait, but it wasn't enough for me.

"Well, one night, I had a dream that I was in a dark room with a floor made of stained glass. A voice told me that my loyalty and friendship kept my heart strong and that I was worthy of a weapon called a Keyblade. The key appeared in my hand and suddenly Heartless surrounded me and I had to fight. It came instinctually. I destroyed every last one of them. The voice told me I'd passed and a light from above shone brightly and I found myself back in my room.

"But it wasn't just a dream. When I woke up, I could still call the Keyblade. A few days later, Heartless started showing up on my world. I thought it was a miracle. I finally had a talent I could use. I protected the town with my life. I fought hard and long every night. But more and more Heartless came, each time stronger than the last. I trained harder and completely devoted myself to fighting. Jade and Ryli finally figured out what I was doing and started worrying about me. I told them I was doing it for them, to keep them safe. I loved the power I had, the strength to overcome, to conquer. I started caring more about that power than anything else.

"Over time, it consumed me. I didn't realize that the stronger I got, the tighter the darkness' grip on my heart was. The Heartless were more and more drawn to my world by my dark heart. Jade and Ryli realized what was happening, that power was eating me up. They tried to tell me to take it easy, to realize what I had become. I didn't listen. I was so convinced I was helping them. I've never been more wrong."

Kyra's face darkened as she continued her story. "Eventually, the darkness had such control over my heart that I couldn't think for myself or control my actions anymore. I was a walking puppet. One night, I went on a rampage through the village, destroying buildings and shops and anything else in sight. Finally, Jade and Ryli found me. They tried so hard to reason with me, to stop me. But I wasn't myself anymore. Their voices were empty and unfamiliar."

Kyra's throat started to close up. She didn't know if she could finish, but Ari was listening to her more intently than anyone had before. This was her one chance.

"That was it," Kyra finished blatantly. "It was over…they were killed."

Ari swallowed hard. She looked like all the light had just gone out inside her.

"The Heartless got them?" she managed to choke out.

"No," Kyra whispered, feeling the tears start to roll down her cheeks now. "It wasn't them…it was me. I killed them, Ari. I did." She tried to keep control but the tears started coming faster. "After that, I snapped out of it and realized what I had just done. But…but I still remember it, even though I couldn't think straight when it happened." She started sobbing. "I can't get the image out of my head. Their faces as I did it…I betrayed them." Then she broke down, unable to talk anymore. Ari felt a pain in her chest too, now knowing what Kyra had been through. She could only imagine what it was like to live with that. She wrapped her arms around the girl and Kyra limply hugged back, sobbing into her shoulder. The tears didn't stop for a long time and Ari sat there, continuing to try and comfort her friend. She didn't know if it really counted as an emotion, but at that moment, the fourteenth member felt completely and utterly helpless.

* * *

Well, now you know Kyra's big secret! It's definitely not a happy little past that she has...I know it was a really short chapter, sorry about that. But I didn't want this to be part of the previous chapter, so I thought it should stand on its own. Hope you liked, thanks for reading and thank you so much to The Infiniator for reviewing! Hope everyone keeps reading:)


	13. Chapter 13

After Kyra cried for a long time, sleep finally found her. Axel, Roxas, and Sora had slept like rocks the whole night. Ari, however, never got any rest. In addition to Axel's snoring and Sora's murmurings while he slept, she couldn't stop thinking about Kyra. It kept her up all night. How could something so horrible happen to such a good person?

At sunrise, Ari gathered up firewood and cooked breakfast for everyone. Soon, the guys were awake and wolfing down all the food. Ari was going to wake Kyra up, but she looked exhausted, like she hadn't gotten a full night's sleep in years. She let her rest.

Axel laid out the plan. It was incredibly risky and they all knew that, but it was the only thing that would work. Axel would bring Kyra and Ari to Xemnas, pretending like he had found and captured them. Then he would bring them down to the dungeon, as Xemnas would instruct him to. Sora and Roxas would be down there waiting, and once everyone arrived, they would free the prisoners and escape. The whole plan truly relied on their acting abilities. They had to really make Xemnas believe that Axel was still on his side. Ari knew Axel could easily pull it off, but she was afraid she would get nervous and blow their cover. But there was no time for doubt. She pushed it from her mind.

A little while later, Kyra woke up. As everyone prepared for the journey, Axel explained the plan to her. Soon, everything was in order and the group prepared to leave. Ari was drained from the lack of sleep, but she tried to keep herself awake. Axel was silent, Kyra was worried, and Sora was just psyched. Roxas had used the Corridors to go get a gummi ship, since Kyra and Sora didn't have coats to protect them. Kyra had built up an immunity to them from using them for so long, but Sora wasn't used to them and they wanted to be sure everyone had their full strength. Just in case things got bad.

Roxas returned shortly and they all got on board. As they flew, Ari couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She told herself it was just nervousness but it wouldn't go away. Everyone else seemed uneasy on the way, too. There was dead silence, even from Sora. They all knew a number of things could go wrong and everyone would be in danger, but no one wanted to say it out loud.

Kyra's biggest fear was that they would have to fight and she would be defenseless. She doubted the Keyblade would come back to her after she had given in to darkness, and even if it did, she didn't want to use it. She didn't like the strength it gave her. She couldn't have that power again.

It wasn't long before they arrived at their destination. Kyra was surprised to see that it was Twilight Town. It was the larger sector of town, however. They parked the ship and Axel led the team into the old abandoned mansion on the far side of town. In the basement, there was a dark room with a strange portal that supposedly led directly to the Organization's world. Axel stepped in first, then the others followed. The three Nobodies walked silently ahead, as Sora and Kyra looked at the world in awe.

The sky was stormy and dark. Rain fell slowly, wetting the dark path through the empty city. As the five of them continued on, an enormous heart-shaped moon loomed above, watching their every move. Kyra had never seen it before but she instantly knew what it was. Kingdom Hearts.

The group arrived at the enormous white castle floating in the night. This was it. They stood in a line, facing their fates. No turning back. As if greeting them, a long icy bridge appeared before them, leading up to the entrance. They all exchanged glances, then slowly walked forward into danger's stronghold. Kingdom Hearts stared down ominously at them. Kyra knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't help feeling like it could actually see them.

* * *

While Sora and Roxas snuck off a separate way, Axel, Ari, and Kyra headed toward the Superior's office. Kyra fidgeted nervously as they walked. Axel had told her about Organization XIII's leader. Supposedly, he was incredibly strong, the strongest Nobody there had ever been. One wrong move and they would all be in trouble.

They approached Xemnas' room. Kyra could feel her heart pounding. Her palms were getting sweaty too, but she focused on keeping a straight face. Ari took a deep breath as she tried to remain calm too. Axel smirked down at the two of them. "Ready?" he asked. They both nodded. Then Axel grabbed them by the wrists, raised his foot, and kicked the door down.

Axel dragged the two of them in as they pretended to struggle and fight back. Xemnas, who was standing by his window gazing out at Kingdom Hearts, had heard them come in.

"It is customary to knock before entering a room," he said, as he slowly turned to face them.

"My hands were full," Axel shrugged.

"Let us go, Axel!" Ari yelled, trying to pry his hand from her wrist. She obviously wasn't really trying to break free, but he did have a tight grip. It was uncomfortable.

"Ah, Axel," the Superior continued. "You brought them back just as I instructed. Indeed, you've done well."

"Do I get my heart now?" the eighth member questioned.

"Soon," Xemnas nodded. "Very soon."

To Ari's shock, the Superior turned to her next.

"You. Number XIV. You have betrayed us. You are no longer worthy to serve among our ranks."

"I have a name," the brunette growled under her breath.

"Indeed, _Aryxk_," he smiled, eyes boring into hers. She glared back, tasting venom on her tongue. She had always hated her full name and therefore used a nickname, and he knew it. After a moment, he yelled two more names.

"Xaldin! Lexaeus!"

Two Corridors appeared and the elder members stepped into the room.

"Take the prisoners to the dungeon," Xemnas ordered.

"No!" Ari cried, tugging against Axel's grip. Kyra started fighting back, too. Axel tightened his hold even more until Ari's whole arm began to ache. Lexaeus walked over and grabbed both of Ari's arms, pulling them behind her back. He put handcuffs around them as Xaldin did the same to Kyra. Xemnas and Axel were watching from the side.

"You've done well, Axel," Xemnas spoke. "I didn't think you would have it in you to actually turn against your fellow members. Especially Number XIII. I assume he is here, as well?"

"In the dungeon, waiting," confirmed Axel. "The other Keybearer is down there, too." He shot a quick glance over at Ari, an ashamed look in his eyes. Suddenly, Ari realized what was going on.

"NO! Axel! You _were_ just playing us! This is all a set-up!"

Number VIII looked down at the floor. "Sorry, Ari."

"I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED YOU!" she screamed as Lexaeus and Xaldin started to pull the two Keyblade wielders out of the room. Kyra tried to free herself, her face locked in worry now. "Axel, we were your friends!" Ari called out. He didn't even look up. He just stared at that same spot on the ground until the door slammed behind them.


	14. Chapter 14

The group walked through the halls in silence. Ari could tell Kyra was worried sick. She clenched her teeth. She couldn't believe Axel had been faking the whole time! He was given a mission to retrieve them; he wasn't trying to help them. She should have known. The whole Organization was out to find them. Ari beat up on herself. _I knew he was up to something, but like a stupid dog, I was too trusting to believe it! Stupid! _She clenched her fists. She wanted to kill something. Him, Xemnas, herself, anything. She glanced over at Xaldin and Lexaeus. They might satisfy her too…

She knew she couldn't. For one, she was still bound up, so therefore wouldn't be able to use the Keyblade. She still had her dark powers, but it was two-against-one. That wouldn't be enough. Plus, they needed to warn Sora and Roxas of what was happening. But how?

The crew arrived at the dungeon. Saix was waiting for them. He gave a cold grin upon seeing the two Keyblade wielders. "I see Number VIII pulled through for us."

"Who would've thought it?" snorted Xaldin. "He's stronger than we thought."

"Indeed. He has proven his loyalty to the Organization."

Kyra and Ari both knew they had to tell Sora and Roxas what was going on somehow. Ari prayed they were listening in.

"I can't believe I thought he was helping us!" she yelled.

Saix sneered down at her. 'Life isn't fair, is it Aryxk?" The girl fought the intense urge to lash out. Why was everyone using her full name all of a sudden?

"Guess we can't be too trusting, can we?" he mocked, opening up one of the cells. Xaldin and Lexaeus forced the two in, quickly locking the bars behind them.

"Stand guard. Do not let them escape," ordered the second-in-command, opening a Corridor. "Tonight, it begins. Tonight, we become whole." He disappeared. Xaldin and Lexaeus stood on either side of the cell, waiting. Ari and Kyra hoped Sora and Roxas had figured out it was a trap and fled. Unfortunately, they hadn't.

Kingdom Key flew out of the shadows. With incredible speed, Xaldin summoned up one of his spears and deflected it, sending it back to its Master's hand. Then Roxas burst out of the darkness, flying through the air with Oathkeeper raised. He swung downward at Lexaeus' throat, who parried with his axe sword. Roxas sent a barrage of lightning-fast blows at Lexaeus. The fifth member concentrated, blocking each one, until Roxas did a reversal. He slipped behind his foe and struck him in the back. Before Xaldin could assist, Sora had charged forward, knocking each spear to the ground. He pounced in at Xaldin for the kill, but the Whirlwind Lancer summoned up a wind flurry, propelling the boy backwards into a wall.

Lexaeus, now injured and furious, let out a war cry and grabbed his axe sword firmly. "Look out, Roxas!" Ari screamed as Lexaeus whipped around. Roxas couldn't dodge in time and the weapon connected forcefully with his side, smashing him across the room. Then Lexaeus rushed forward, axe brandished, to finish his foe. Roxas got to his feet, a scowl on his face, teeth bared. He was angry now.

As Lexaeus closed in, Roxas charged forward too to meet his foe. With a deafening clash, the two weapons collided, their wielders' eyes locked. By now, Sora had gotten back up and was going at Xaldin again. He struck relentlessly, but Xaldin, with six lances dancing at his side, easily warded him off. Then the cloaked man fired a flurry of tornadoes toward Sora. They all converged on the spot he was standing. "Aero!" the Keybearer cried, creating his own wind spiral around himself and blasting the others back at Xaldin. Blinded by the forceful gust, he didn't see the boy leap from above with his blade drawn. There was a slash, a yell, and the third Organization member was gone.

By this point, Lexaeus was tiring with his adversary not giving him a moment's rest. When he heard Xaldin's pained cry, he glanced over at his fading comrade. For that split second that his guard was down, Number XIII lunged. Ari and Kyra winced as Oathkeeper went straight through the Nobody. "The Organization's time is up." Roxas pulled his weapon back and the man who had seemed so strong before fell to his knees. He breathed heavily, gripping his wound as he slowly became one with the nothingness.

"Well, that's that!" exclaimed Sora, unlocking the cell. Ari begged to differ.

"This isn't over. We're all in huge danger right now, we have to go!"

"Of course, after we save everyone!"

"Well, make it quick! Any minute, someone else will be down here."

"With any luck, it'll be Axel so we can all get out pronto!"

"No," Ari shook her head firmly. "He's not with us anymore."

"What?" They both gasped.

"Did…something go wrong…?" Roxas gulped.

"He's not dead," Ari quickly added, realizing where his mind had immediately gone.

"Axel's with the Organization," Kyra explained.

"No…no, he's not," Roxas denied.

"He was faking," Ari told him. "He was with Xemnas all along."

"NO!" Roxas yelled. "He's on our side! He is! He has to be…"

"I know it's hard, Roxas," Kyra tried to comfort him. "But, sometimes friends aren't who they seem to be. Sometimes, people change."

Roxas balled his hands up into fists. He looked down at the floor with a completely abandoned expression on his face. Kyra didn't blame him. His best friend had just betrayed him, had betrayed all of them. _Was this how Jade and Ryli had felt? _Kyra wondered. _Were they heartbroken when I changed? When I wasn't Kyra anymore?_

Suddenly, a jolt of lightning struck Sora and Roxas from behind. They both yelled and fell to the ground, unconscious. A tall blond woman in an Organization cloak walked up to the cell, grinning. "Hello, kiddies. Ritual's about to start. Wouldn't want to miss the show!"

* * *

Well, the story is coming to a close here! Not many chapters left, I hope you're enjoying! Please let me know what you think! And it's always fun to see people's predictions of what will happen next too:)


	15. Chapter 15

Larxene, the Twelfth member, led Ari and Kyra toward the White Space. It was a huge open colorless room with a glass ceiling that Kingdom Hearts shone down through. She carried Sora's body while Marluxia, the eleventh member who had joined her in the dungeon, took Roxas. Still bound up, Ari and Kyra had no choice but to obey.

When they arrived, five members stood in a circle in the center of the room. Seven people in chains stood in the middle of the circle. The prisoners. Sora and Roxas were handcuffed too and put in the center along with Kyra and Ari. They were just starting to wake up. Larxene and Marluxia joined the outside ring. Ari looked around. There was Xemnas, Axel, Xigbar, Vexen, Saix, Larxene, and Marluxia_. Where are the others?_ she wondered. Just then, Xemnas began to speak.

"My fellow members, here we have the true Organization. Those not with us today were weak or disloyal. Those who have survived have shown resilience and obedience to the Organization. I commend you all." He raised his hands up to the sky, looking straight at Kingdom Hearts. "And now, with the heart of all worlds above us, we too shall gain hearts of our own. But first…" His gaze dropped to where the four Keybearers were kneeling in the center of the room. "The traitors must be eliminated. The human Keybearers, however, will be kept alive until they have fulfilled their role."

"NO!" Kyra screamed. "I'm not gonna help you!" Larxene charged her with a jolt of lightning to shut her up. Ari gritted her teeth but she knew it was useless to retaliate.

"Axel…would you do the honors?" the Superior smiled and gestured toward the Nobodies. Axel stiffened.

"That wasn't part of the deal."

"Are we loyal to the Organization or not?"

"O-of course…" Axel nodded, trying to remain confident. He walked forward until he was standing right in front of Ari. She looked up at him, but he wouldn't make eye contact.

"I thought you were our friend," the female Keybearer muttered. With a solemn face, Axel drew one chakram and raised it above his shoulder. Ari lowered her head, both in shame and betrayal.

"ARI!" Kyra called. Saix silenced her. Though Ari wasn't looking up, she could hear Xemnas' grin as he spoke.

"He's a good actor, isn't he?"

Ari flinched, waiting for the final blow as she heard movement above her. Axel whipped around and hurled his chakram, sinking it squarely into Xemnas' chest. Everyone gaped in disbelief. Axel gave his signature smirk.

"A little too good. Got it memorized?"

"You-! You were with them all along!" the Superior spat through clenched teeth. Without even wincing, he ripped the chakram out of himself and crushed it with one hand. "INSOLENT FOOL!"

In a flash, he warp dashed forward, ethereal blade drawn, and sliced Axel through the gut. The redhead collapsed to the ground, shaking and holding his body. Ari, Sora, Kyra, and Roxas stared in disbelief. He was on their side the whole time!

Roxas leapt up, let out a huge war cry, and ripped through his handcuffs like they were paper. He called Oathkeeper and rushed forward to take out Xemnas. Ari focused her dark energy and managed to free herself from her bindings. Then she took out Oblivion and cut apart Sora and Kyra's shackles, too. Then the war began.

Ari rushed over to help Roxas. The other Organization members closed in on Sora and Kyra. Sora immediately sprung into action, flipping through the air and dodging enemy fire. Kyra was still scared to try using the Keyblade. Sora currently was distracting all of the Organization members and managing to avoid any damage, but it wouldn't last long. With five Nobodies on him, it wouldn't be long before…

BAM! Xigbar landed a gunshot sharply in the boy's arm. That did it. Instinct immediately took over Kyra's body. The Keyblade appeared in her hand and she pounced forward, slashing through Vexen and Saix. They weren't defeated, only somewhat injured, but Kyra was in on the fight now, the Nobodies' attentions turned to her. The odds were still against the two of them, but there was a better chance now.

"The Superior is under attack! I'll assist!" yelled Saix. He teleported using a Corridor, appearing over by Roxas and Ari. Kyra was worried that they couldn't take on both enemies, but she didn't have time to think about it. Larxene had lunged forward, wielding multiple knives in each hand. She swung at Kyra over and over, but the girl dodged all of them, focusing intently. Suddenly, Marluxia appeared behind the Keyblade wielder, an enormous scythe in his hand. Kyra saw him just in time, backflipping over his attempt to slice her in half. The two Nobodies fought Kyra as a team, but she blocked all of their attacks with ease. Everything came back to her in the heat of battle.

Another deadly swing. Another flip. Larxene fired waves of electricity, which Kyra rolled away from. Then she swung up against the scythe that threatened her throat. Knocking it skyward, she left its wielder an open target. She followed through with a diving cut to take out Marluxia but his blondie girlfriend kicked her in the ribs, propelling her away before she could finish him. Kyra quickly glanced over at Sora. He had taken out Vexen, but Xigbar was still going at him. Roxas and Ari were in trouble. They couldn't fight both Xemnas and Saix at the same time. Kyra wanted to go help, but the crazy couple was still after her. She managed to hold them off for awhile, but she knew they couldn't win like this. Something had to change. They needed something to tip the scale in their favor.

Roxas dealt a blow to Saix, knocking him backward to the ground. Then, turning, he ran and threw his arm forward to stab Xemnas. The Superior quickly warped to the middle of the room, grabbing one of the prisoners and appearing in front of Roxas again.

"Wait, Roxas! NO!" Ari cried, but it was too late. Oathkeeper plunged through the man's chest. His heart was released, slowly floating toward Xemnas. The man fell to the ground gasping and disappeared. Xemnas closed his eyes as the heart sank into his body, becoming his. Roxas stepped backward, stunned.

"No...I didn't…mean to…"

Everyone, even the Organization members, watched in terror as Xemnas floated up into the air in the center of the room, bathed in the silky glow of Kingdom Hearts. He started glowing with a dark gold presence as he pulled all the energy of the room into himself. The team of Keybearers watched in despair. The strongest Nobody of all was just given a heart, had just become a full being. There was no telling what he was capable of now. Kyra stepped forward, Keyblade held tightly, a fire in her eyes, a fearless vibe emanating from her. Ari peered over at her friend in disbelief. Was she still planning to hold her ground? There was no way they could stop Xemnas now.

The Organization's leader put a hand over his chest, a new passion in his eyes. "This…this is what I've been searching for. I feel _alive_." He waved his hand through the air, effortlessly lifting Xigbar and Marluxia into the air and hurling them with his mind. "I can feel the power within my heart!" Ari cringed. The Superior had control over nothingness, and the Nobodies' world was literally made of nothing. Xemnas could manipulate and control anything here. "Now I shall rule over Kingdom Hearts, but none of you shall live to witness my glory!"

"What about _our_ hearts, Xemnas?" screamed Larxene.

"You won't be needing them," he replied, sending a huge stone pillar flying toward the group below. Everyone leapt of the way. Larxene screamed angrily and charged toward Xemnas. Soon, the other members and Sora and Kyra had joined in the fight.

"He was just using us the whole time…all of us…" Ari realized. "We were his pawns."

Roxas stepped up beside his fellow Nobody. "You ready?"

Ari stared straight ahead, feeling an intense fury burn in the pit of her stomach. As an answer to Roxas' question, she drew Oblivion. Roxas took out Oathkeeper. "For Axel?"

"For Axel," Ari nodded. Then together, they raced toward the battlefield to fight for Kingdom Hearts. The battle was intense. Ari could see the rage in the eyes of every single ally. Although they had been fighting each other only minutes ago, now they were united for a common purpose. They were fighting for what was right. Sora, Roxas, Kyra, and Ari were fighting to protect the worlds. The Organization fought to become whole.

Everything came back to Kyra as she fought. She was just as quick, forceful, and determined as the rest of them. Despite this, Xemnas hardly even had to try. He easily guarded himself against the incoming onslaught. He lifted up Larxene and fired her into a wall. Marluxia swung his scythe, just barely missing Xemnas as he spun out of the way. Saix, still hesitant to fight back, stood watching. Suddenly, Xemnas appeared behind him, sending his blades straight through the Luna Diviner's back. Saix evaporated.

The other members hesitated. No one could believe what had just happened. Saix had always obeyed Xemnas, but the grey-haired leader had just destroyed him as if it never meant anything. Sora was the first to start the fight again. He sprung toward the Superior, bringing Ultima Weapon down with a swift force. Xemnas surrounded himself with a barrier, pushing it outward and launching Sora through the air. Xemnas then leapt upward with his blades to deliver the final blow, but Roxas shot in between them, deflecting the dire weapons. Sora, catching himself on the back wall, pushed off with all his force, firing himself at Xemnas. The two warriors met in a clash of powers.

The others joined in the fight once again. Luckily, as a human, Xemnas would tire more quickly than his Nobody self would. _Un_luckily, the other members were already tiring. Ari frowned. Nobodies usually didn't wear out for quite a long time. She had done missions that lasted for hours and had hardly broken a sweat. But now, she just felt drained.

"You OK, Ari?" worried Kyra. "You look awful."

"I…I don't know," the brunette answered, breathing heavier. "I think Xemnas is sapping our energy somehow."

Xigbar, Marluxia, and Larxene were struggling. They couldn't focus in battle anymore. Roxas fought on like nothing was wrong, but Ari could tell he was slowing down. She knew there was no way they could win unless something huge changed the odds in their favor.

"I have a plan," Kyra explained. Hopefully, it would be huge enough.

* * *

Heehee, sorry to drop a cliffhanger right in the middle of the action like that, but it'll just make the next part more intense X) Thanks so much to organization13girl for reviewing! And thank you to those faithful readers who take the time to read my stories, it means alot. Stay tuned! The next chap may not be up til Monday but i will try to post tomorrow!


	16. Chapter 16

Kyra looked grimly out at the battlefield. Larxene had been killed. Marluxia had been eliminated in an attempt to avenge her. Xigbar, injured and deprived of strength, started to fade away, too. Roxas fell to his hands and knees, panting. Ari had to use her Keyblade for balance as she drew raspy breaths. Xemnas was taking every last bit of energy the Nobodies had. He couldn't sap Sora's power, but the boy had become weary just from the rigorous fighting. Kyra knew someone had to end this_. Xemnas may have gained strength from his heart, but he also gained a weakness_, Kyra thought. _Human weakness._

"Xemnas!" she cried out. "Stop this right now! You don't know what you're doing!" In response, the former Nobody shot a wave of nothingness at her. She rolled to the side, narrowly escaping it. "Xemnas, listen! You're throwing your life away! Having a heart isn't about power or greed. That feeling in your heart right now…there's so much more to a heart than that." The Superior still had his ethereal blades at the ready, but he was listening now.

"Emotions can hurt," Kyra continued. "They can divide. But they can heal, too. A feeling of joy or belonging can mend even the most wounded heart. I know how it feels to be lonely, rejected, in shame. But you just have to find that one person who cares enough to be there for you." She smiled genuinely, glancing over at Ari. Ari smiled back warmly in understanding. Kyra felt a warmth in her heart that she hadn't felt in years. Then, she turned back to Xemnas.

"And, if you want…I'll be that one person for you." The two exchanged deep glances. Kyra could almost see sorrow in his previously greedy golden eyes. She held her hand out, offering her light to him. She knew what it was like to be lonely and abandoned, and she knew how good it felt to find a friend.

The Superior took Kyra's hand for a brief second. Then, his gaze reverted back to its previous state and he tightened his grip, sending shockwaves pulsing through the Keybearer's body. She let out a cry and recoiled away from his firm hold. Then, with a grin Kyra would never forget, he drew back his blade to finish her off. Her mind whirring and body going numb, she couldn't react in time to save herself. Suddenly, there was a flash of black and a CLANG! as Ari made a running dive to get between the two and block the strike. After his hit had been parried, Xemnas swung around, knocking Ari's Keyblade away with one weapon and tearing through flesh with the other. There was a piercing cry.

"ARI!" Kyra wailed as time nearly halted. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as she watched her Nobody and best friend fall to the ground in absolute pain, threads of nothingness already leaving her body. Roxas was yelling her name too, but it sounded like it was off in the distance. Sound distorted. Time blurred. Kyra stood, staring wide-eyed at the fading body on the ground, then at the grey-haired man who still had that disgusting smirk on his face. Her breathing picked up speed as a deep inner rage surfaced within her. With a new passion, she drew Dark Dove.

The key's handle had a jet black wing on one side, a golden keyhole-shaped guard on the other. The shaft was a series of connected chains, breaking apart as they climbed. A large white dove exploded from the top, its wings serving as the blade. Kyra had only used that particular Keyblade one other time. On that night. This was the key she had used to kill them. But now it would kill _for_ them. It would kill to set things right.

Kyra rushed forward, swinging rapidly but with focus and purpose. Xemnas was taken aback at the sudden assault. The Keyblade wielder saw a new look in Xemnas' eyes that weren't there before. Fear. Kyra continued to strike, Xemnas blocking it all but slowing down, becoming less certain of himself. At the very first chance Kyra found him open at, she struck. Flipping backward, she kicked him in the chin, knocking his head upward. He staggered back as the girl came full circle, landing on her feet in exactly the same spot she started from. Then, with a pounce high into the air, Kyra brought the Keyblade down forcefully. Xemnas held up both blades above his head to shield himself, but to no avail. Kyra felt contact with her foe as she split right through the two weapons and sliced straight down the Superior's body.

The man's eyes widened, his newfound life already leaving his body. He held a hand to his wound, then looked at his blood-stained glove in horror. The liquid that remained on the Keyblade ran down the dove's wings, dying them crimson. Kyra watched solemnly as the Superior staggered backward, falling to the ground. The great Xemnas was dead.

Kyra swallowed hard, relieved, despaired, and confused all at the same time. She sent Dark Dove away, then turned to the reality she had momentarily forgotten in her fury. Ari lay on the floor, Roxas right beside her, holding her hand and trying to comfort her. Kyra ran over, praying everything would be fine. Or that it wasn't already too late.

* * *

Kyra rushed to Ari's side, resting her friend's head on her arm. A soft blackish white fog was rising from her body. She was slowly but surely fading away.

"Ari, why did you do that?" Kyra asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Because that's what friends do," the Nobody forced a smile. Kyra clenched her teeth, holding back tears. Ari was the only friend she had anymore and she was watching her die right in her arms. The injured Axel, still holding his wound, had struggled to his feet and was walking over.

"Axel," Ari murmured through a pained expression, "you were on our side the whole time."

"Yeah," he scratched his head, "Xemnas sent me on a mission to retrieve you guys. I had to make him believe I was still working for the Organization. But I had to make you guys believe it too, or you would've given us away."

"Oh, thanks!" she teased.

"What? I'm just saying, not everyone can be as talented an actor as me," he mocked back, shooting his signature smile. Everyone else smiled along with them. Ari's smile didn't last though, as the pain began to set back in. Kyra's throat closed up again.

"Ari, please don't leave me." She felt the tears start to come and she couldn't hold them back anymore. "I was so lonely until I met you. And now, I'm going to be all alone again and this is all my fault!"

"No," Ari shook her head. "It's not your fault. And don't worry, I _am_ you, or pretty close to it. As long as you always remember who you are, I'll never be far."

Kyra gave a slight chuckle, but it came out as a choked sob. "I never thought I would be best friends with myself."

"Me either," her Nobody laughed.

"Ari…thanks. I used to nobody's friend, but now…I'm Nobody's friend."

Ari smiled at her friend and suddenly Kyra knew what had seemed strange about her from the first day they spent together. It wasn't the fact that she wasn't human or didn't have real emotions. It was that she was familiar. That smile was Kyra's smile. The way she used to be before her mistake. She was everything Kyra had been and everything she had wanted to be. She was her pure self. The girl held Ari's hand as she closed her eyes, the same peaceful smile on her face. The particles of nothing rose toward the heavens and then she was gone. The fourteenth member was gone.

* * *

So there you have it:'( bittersweet ending, just how i like em X) The epilogue, which will probably be posted tomorrow, resolves the story more so this isn't technically the end. But tell me what you thought! sorry it was so short...I need to work on lengthening my writing...Thanks so much to everyone who read, it means alot!


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

It's been two years since Ari disappeared. My life has pretty much returned to normal, or as close to normal as my life can ever be again. After everything that happened, Roxas ended up rejoining with Sora. Meaning he became a part of him, so he's still alive but…contained? I don't know. I still don't get Nobodies.

Axel returned to Radiant Garden, his other's homeworld. Speaking of which, all the other prisoners made it back to their homes, too. Axel chose not to rejoin with his other, though. I guess he just wants to be free. And he realized he doesn't need a heart for that.

As for me, well…I stayed in Radiant Garden for awhile. I found a place to live and a steady job. Axel and I have been helping each other along and stuff. But I think it's time for me to go home. I haven't seen my parents in four years. I guess I wasn't ready to go back. I don't know what they'll think or say, but I have to go home. And I want to.

Axel found a gummi pilot who could take me back to my homeworld. I thanked him, wished him luck, and we said our good-byes. I watched the waving redhead become smaller and smaller until he vanished, the ship reaching great height. Then we were in interspace and I marveled at the stars, worlds, and galaxies. After about an hour, we arrived at our destination.

I thanked the pilot greatly, but he wouldn't accept the munny I offered him. He said Axel had already paid him. Then, for the first time since that night four years ago, I stepped out into the town.

* * *

I took a deep inhale, savoring the sharp tart air. It was cool, but not unbearably cold. I began to walk. I passed all the old shops and cafés that I knew so well, memories flooding back to me. I entered the park, smiling at the trees that had shaded me my whole life. I ran my hand along the coarse wooden planks of the bench Jade, Ryli, and I had sat on every afternoon.

I continued into the park, wandering its path, not worrying about anything. Just remembering. No other place could be home to me like this world was. The path I was on slowly snaked through a thicket of trees that eventually became a forest. I kept walking. The woods were peaceful and quiet. No sign or trace of any humans, just trees and the quiet chirp of birds soaring above.

The woods slowly thinned and the path ended, coming to a cliff overlooking a marvelous river. This had always been my favorite getaway. I came here whenever I needed to be alone. I stepped toward the edge of the cliff, looking out over the water. A slight breeze blew through my hair and brushed against my cheek. A sense of wholeness and content settled inside me.

"Come here often?" came a voice from behind. I jumped in shock, not having heard anyone and startled by the sudden break in silence. I quickly turned to see a tall boy who looked to be about sixteen. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you!" he apologized.

"No, it's OK," Kyra shook her head. "Just didn't expect anyone to come here, that's all."

"Me neither," he chuckled. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Hmm…kinda just visiting. I used to come out here all the time just to be alone."

He smiled, then took a small blue flower out of his jacket and walked over to a small rock that was in the grass nearby. He set the flower down in a ring of other flowers of all shapes and colors that surrounded the stone. Then he took a deep breath, staring at it, a look of deep thought on his eyes.

"What's that?" I wondered.

"Oh, this? Just a…memorial, I guess. It's for my brother. He was killed about four years ago, along with a few other friends of his. It was tough."

"Ryli…" I murmured under my breath. The boy looked up, surprised.

"Yeah, Ryli! You knew him?"

"Yeah, he was one of my best friends. Jade was, too. The other girl."

The kid's eyes widened instantly. "Y-you're Kyra!"

"Uh, yeah…" I laughed awkwardly. "Um, have we met?"

"I'm Jay. Ryli used to hang out with you all the time! And you disappeared too…everyone thought you were all dead. We thought something terrible happened when you were together one night."

"Well, it did. They were both killed, Jade and Ryli. And I ran away. I didn't know what to do or even think."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jay lowered his head. "You should've come to me. I would've been there for you."

Kyra smiled to herself. He was just like Ryli, always trying to help everyone out, always putting others first. I could tell he was hurting, though. His head still hung, eyes fixed on the ground.

"Man, Ryli…" he whispered so quietly that I wouldn't have heard him if it weren't completely silent.

"Hey, I'm sorry." I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I-it's OK," he sniffed, forcing a smile. "Hey, do your parents know you're back yet? Does _anyone_ know you're back?"

"Uh, not yet," I laughed, scratching my head. "I just wanted to see the woods ag-!" Before I could finish, he had grabbed my hand and started yanking me back toward the town. He was beaming, and I had to sprint just to keep from being dragged behind. I felt my excitement swell as we got closer. It had been so long!

Soon, we were barreling through the streets, Jay screaming, "Kyra's back everyone!", making a huge scene as everyone turned in confusion. I doubted any of them knew me or remembered me, but Jay's enthusiasm was contagious. Soon I was yelling along with him, hurtling through crowds of people, "I'm back! I'm back!" We both laughed as we ran, heading toward my house.

Everyone we passed stared and I usually would have felt self-conscious, but at this point, I could care less what they thought. Finally, I could see my house. In front, my mom was stooped over, gardening. My dad was doing yardwork.

"Mom! Dad!" I cried in joy. They turned, squinting, trying to see who it was. I was way ahead of Jay at this point, beaming and running faster than I ever had before. They slowly walked forward, not sure they were really seeing who they thought they were. Then, they too started running, yelling my name.

"Kyra!" We met, me throwing myself into their arms, them hugging me tightly and crying in joy. I sobbed, wrapping my arms around them. They didn't ask for an explanation. They just held me close, happy that I was alive and well. Jay watched from a distance, smiling. As I reunited with my family, I felt Jade, Ryli, and Ari in my heart, too.

"You're home, Kyra. You're home," my parents kept saying.

I smiled as I thought to myself, _No. We're home._

* * *

Well, there you have it! That's Nobody's Friend! Tell me what you thought of the ending, I'm open to all comments, both good and bad. Thanks again to everyone who read and to The Infiniator and organization13girl for reviewing frequently! Hope you enjoyed:)


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